The Rapture of Canaan

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Summary: Buy this book!
Review: The Rapture of Canaan was one of my favorite books this year. Oprah has really done something for those of us who make reading one of our top priorities in life. This is a book that a person will never forget once they have completed it. If you have read it once, you must read it again

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Summary: Wonderful story!! I couldn't put it down!
Review: I picked up this book on a Friday evening and finished it Saturday afternoon. I simply could not put it down! It's a wonderful story that gives you a glimpse into the mind and heart of a young girl growing up in a very strict, religious community. You feel like you're right there with her, experiencing all her joys, sorrows, fears & pains. The ending is tremendous and heart-warming. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great book this summer

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Summary: Amazing storyline
Review: I couldn't put this book down. The story was touching, cruel at times, yet showed where your heart really should be, with the Lord. The writing made you feel as if you were a part of the group. Highly recommended!

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Summary: For Believers and Non-Believers, alike
Review: I was at first skeptical when I read the back cover of this book. It sounded like either a book about a cult (with Heaven's Gate so recently in the news, I wasn't interested) or Church/Christianity bashing. But, having read all but one of Oprah's books and never being disappointed, I went for it. I was pleasantly surprised. It proved to be a touching, inspirational book for all, regardless of religious affiliation or beliefs

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Summary: This book allowed me to understand the mind of Ninah.
Review: I really enjoyed reading the Rapture of Canaan. Mrs. Reynolds took me inside the mind of a young girl who had many troubles while she was growing up. She had many internal conflicts. The battle was between the lifestyle she was living and what feelings she had in her heart. Throughout the story, she constantly questioned if she was living the way she was supposed to. At the church of Fire and Brimstone, many things that our does was tabooed. If you were caught doing tabooed things, you were severely punished by Grandpa Herman. In my opinion, Grandpa Herman thought that he was God and what he said should not be questioned. When Ninah got pregnant by James and James was killed, she hid her secret fearing for her life. When everyone found out about it, she was punished for it. I did not like that she was punished for such a petty crime. In this book, I strongly disliked the antagonist, Grandpa Herman. He acted too much like a David Koresh figure instead of a true leader or prophet. Also, I did not like when the couple took Canaan from his mother (Ninah) and kept him as their son. However, I did like the end of the book though when she cut apart the hands of Canaan.

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Summary: A sensational book about love, God, forgiveness, and change.
Review: The Rapture of Canaan is an exquisite piece of art . Sheri Reynolds weaves the reader through love, fear,spiritual enlightenment, and growth. I was swept away with the nostalgic feeling the book contained, and appreciated the value Reynolds placed on young love, and not reducing it to a "sublunary" love. Lastly, relegion and God are a conflict and yet a solution in this novel, leaving the reader to make his or her own decision. This is the best novel I have read in a very long time. Thank you Sheri Reynolds!!!!!

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Summary: Indeed, a treasure!
Review: Enjoyed every minute of this very well-written story. Ninah is a charmer and her grandmother an incredible soul who understands her husband's ridiculously strict point-of-view re: salvation and also relates to and accepts the views of family members in younger generations. I smiled for days after having finished this story

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Summary: Ninah is the ultimate "Seeker of Truth and Life!"
Review: "The Rapture of Canaan" displays the tragedy of a "religion gone wild" and the gracious mercy of a God who sees their hearts. As a Seminary student, I was deeply moved and definately could relate to the lives of these tragic and yet vulnerable characters whose heart's desire was to be pleasing to God. Ninah's grandmother was portrayed as a woman of great grace and understanding to both Ninah and her husband Herman. The story allowed me to see that no matter how "far" we go in our search for God, He can still meets us where we are. Ninah displayed both a vulnerability and strength before Grandfather Herman (after the death of James),and in turn, gave strength and a "breath of life" to the community. A wonderfully written book!!!

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Summary: Ninah introduces us to her strange world
Review: This is one of those rare books which take the reader into a world where we would not normally be welcome. Sheri Reynolds attention to detail, language, rythem, color, smells, twisted morality, and all the little things let us experience life in the Church of Fire and Brimstone. Ninah has an underlying strength which is revealed, but is not confrontational. In her world, unthinkable events are accepted as normal. I hope this interests others in reading the book

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Summary: Ninah will stay with you forever...
Review: Ninah is special. Her innocence and strength of character in the face of pregnancy in a closed, religious community is evocative of the naivite of young girls before sex education. The overwhelming need for Grandfather to control and determine the fates of all his followers provides a stark contrast to his past and that of his wife, as well as that of his granddaughter. The pivotal role of the grandmother and her relationship with her grandaughter throughout the travail molds Ninah into the woman she becomes. Love, life, and death - The Rapture of Canaan leaves a lasting, profound memory